Uintah River High claims state basketball title with 6 players

FORT DUCHESNE, Uintah County — Shandon Sorensen had never even tried the shot in practice.

“I look at the clock and I see four seconds left,” Sorensen said Wednesday. “I just threw it up and I hoped it went in.”

The shot from two steps inside the halfcourt line dropped in, sending Sorensen and his Uintah River High School basketball team to the semifinals of the Utah School Sports Association playoffs with a 65-62 win over DaVinci Academy.

The Uintah River Warriors — playing with only six players — would finish the tournament with an undefeated record, beating Wasatch Academy 74-57 on Saturday to win their school’s first state championship in any sport.

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Sorensen also stressed mental toughness with his team, and the ability to overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable. He said he knows life for some of the 60 kids who attend Uintah River High is pretty tough. The Ute Indian reservation seems to have more than its share of poverty, crime and addiction, which can make failure seem inevitable.

“That’s already one strike against you,” Sorensen said. “So let’s get out there and prove that that’s not the case. Let’s go out there and prove that you are able to be successful.”